Ikere agog for Odun Oba Festival

The people of Ikere-Ekiti have marked this year’s Odun Oba Festival in style as the indigenes paid homage to the Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Samuel Adejimi Adu Alagbado. The festival climaxed the harvest of the new yam, reports ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA.

The rich cultural heritage of Ikere-Ekiti, a prominent town in Ekiti State, was on display last Saturday as indigenes and residents trooped out to celebrate the Odun Oba Festival. It is a yearly event to mark the harvest of new yam and to pay homage to Oba Samuel Adejimi Adu Alagbado, Agirilala Ogbenuotesoro II, the Ogoga of Ikere.

The festival, which has grown since Oba Alagbado ascended the throne in 2015, saw the people celebrating the town and its indigenes’ achievements.

Various interest groups, such as traditional and honorary chiefs, palace queens (oloris), age-grade groups, professional and vocational organisations, social clubs, community associations, market men and women, local hunters, traditionalists and non-indigenes, resident in the town, took turns to pay homage to the Ogoga.

The Ogoga, who wore a cone-shaped special crown with beaded strings in the front waved his horse tail (irukere) while savouring the honour by various interest groups. Some notable indigenes, who shared the joy of this year’s Odun Oba with the mornach, included the Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola; retired Assistant Inspector General of Police; Chief Tunde Ogunsakin and his wife, Chinyere; Ikere Local Government Chairman, Mr. Aderemi Ayeni; House of Assembly member, representing Ikere Constituency 1, Mr. Wale Ayeni; oil and gas mogul, Otunba Sola Adewumi, who also doubled as chair of Odun Oba Planning Committee and a philanthropist and President, Pyramid Foundation, Pastor Bolu Alabi.

They drummed, sang, danced and prayed that the Ogoga, whom they described as a harbinger of good fortunes for Ikere, will enjoy a long reign for the town to witness greater development. For about six hours that the event lasted, the palace and its vicinity throbbed with crowd, which grew until the celebration reached its peak at about 1.00 pm.

There was plenty to eat and drink to celebrate the season. It was a spectacle of colour, beauty and class with the Ogoga and his consort, the Eyesorun, Olori Funmilola Ololade Adejimi Adu, beaming with smiles.

It was a spectacle to behold when she led the palace queens for their homage, which was preceded with eye-catching dance steps.

Also, there were intermittent firing of gunshots by traditional hunters. On the band stand was a musician, Chief Kayode Atoki, an Ikere indigene, who dished out melodious traditional tunes to the delight of the guests.

In his welcome address, Otunba Adewumi said the Odun Oba is an event to showcase the greatness of Ikere in Ekiti State and Yoruba land.

Describing the Odun Oba as ‘the grand finale of all Ikere festivals,’ Adewumi said the event indicated much about the extraordinary nature of Ikere Kingdom, its societies’ accomplishments and historic contributions. Adewumi praised corporate organisations such as International Breweries, Ilesa and Intercontinental Distillers for their support for the festival.

Addressing the crowd, Oba Alagbado, expressed joy that Ikere is moving forward in the areas of physical, infrastructural and corporate development. He urged the indigenes not to rest on their oars to bring life to their town.

He hailed prominent indigenes of the community at home and in the Diaspora for cooperating with him to lift the town, which had resulted in positive changes that can be seen by all and sundry. “Within the year (2018)”, Ogoga noted, “many Ikere indigenes have achieved milestones in their careers in business, politics, academia and law.”

He said Ikere now boasts of five Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) with the admission of Mr. Bode Olanipekun, son of legal icon and Asiwaju of Ikere, Chief Wole Olanipekun, into the Inner Bar. Oba Alagbado also lauded the inauguration of the first gas plant in the town, Dammy Oil and Gas, which he said has provided jobs for more youths.

The monarch urged other Ikere sons and daughters to come home and invest in the town to boost its economy and provide job opportunities for the teeming youths.

The Ogoga used the opportunity to appeal to his subjects across political divides not to allow the last governorship election divide them, adding that the Ikere’s interest should be paramount to them. Particularly alluding to the circumstances surrounding the loss of Prof. Olusola, an indigene, who was the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Oba Alagbado stressed that elections are over, and those aggrieved by its outcome should forget the past and move on. The monarch said: “Elections are over. I don’t want disunity, rancor and bad blood among Ikere indigenes. Don’t fight anyone for the choice made at the last election. Let all politics of bitterness come to an end in this town and let us be forward-looking.

“Before Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka was adopted by Governor Ayo Fayose, I, in company of some of my chiefs, went to solicit for the consideration of one of our own, who we thought had the experience of a frontline member of the ruling party in Ekiti.

“The governor then said it was the hand of God and that after consulting and God chooses for him, he would announce. Later, he was to announce Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka as divinely directed.

“The Ogoga-in-Council with the leading support of Ikere Development Forum (IDF) prayed, wished and worked to see if an Ikere son could emerge as governorship candidate of the second largest party. In this, the IDF made all efforts to see one person among five Ikere sons, who were contesting to be candidate of the APC emerge. Our hope that head or tail Ikere will produce the next governor was lost.

“Going to the election, all Ikere home and abroad, were praying and hoping for success for one of the four Ikere sons, who were candidates of various parties. Unfortunately, Ikere people worked against their own interest because of one reason or the other.

“I am appealing to all our people to forgive all those who worked against our collective interest because I strongly believe those people worked out of ignorance of the implication of their action. We witnessed some bizarre action of some of our people, but we have forgiven everyone, irrespective of the gravity of the misdeed. I want all Ikere sons and daughters to know that I have no interest in any party, but my total interest is Ikere and will continue to be.

“I implore all to forget this ugly past and let us love one another, work together for the future, believing God will have mercy on Ikere. Our ancestors worked in unity and that was our history of never being conquered in the history of internecine wars that ravaged Yoruba land then.”

Speaking on the significance of Odun Oba, the Sapetu of Ikere, Prof. Babatola Olufemi, explained that the events leading to the festival started early last month. The Sapetu said the festival had nothing to do with anything fetish or worship of idols as believed in some quarters, adding that it is a celebration of agriculture heritage and fertility of the land. He said: “This is the time that yam, which is the major food here, is matured and we are starting to harvest. Before this ceremony, the Ogoga or the Sapetu will not eat the yam until the celebration.

“We started eating since last Saturday because the “Idasu Sapetu” was on Friday, then the second day, the “Idasu Ogoga” the night of Friday to the early morning of Saturday then the second day we eat the yam.

“This is the conclusion of the festivity; it is the “idupe” (thanksgiving), but now the Ogoga rechristened it as Odun Oba, to make it more comprehensive. This is harvesting period, even the pastor in the church will ask for “akoso” (first fruit) from you. It is a thanksgiving period to thank God that last year we planted and we are now harvesting.”

He urged the people of the town to go back to land and engage massively in agriculture to ensure food security in Ikere and Ekiti State.

The celebration was rounded off with a royal dance by the Ogoga and his queen to the admiration of the crowd at the ceremony.